Adjectives as Predicates and Attributes — Hailu Hakka Grammar

An adjective in Hakka behaves far more like a verb than like an English adjective. It can be the whole predicate of a sentence with no linking verb before it, and it takes the same particles a verb takes.

Standing as the Predicate

The adjective follows the subject directly. There is no word answering to is, and inserting the linking verb before an adjective is simply not how the sentence is built.

天時當冷。
tienˋ shi dongˋ langˋthiên shì tông lâng
The weather is very cold.
若个袋仔當重。
ngia gaiˇ toi+ er dongˋ chungˋngià kai tho̊i èr tông chhûng
Your bags are heavy.
佢兜个細人仔當吵。
gi deuˋ gaiˇ seˇ ngin er dongˋ caukì têu kai se ngìn èr tông tshàu
Their children are very noisy.

The Degree Adverb

A predicate adjective normally carries a degree adverb in front of it. Without one the sentence tends to be heard as a comparison — as though something else were being measured against — so the adverb is what makes a plain statement plain.

當歡喜摎你認識。
dongˋ fonˋ hiˊ lauˋ ngi nginˇ shidtông fôn hí lâu ngì ngin shit
I'm very happy to meet you.
𠊎感覺當好！
ngai gamˊ gog dongˋ hoˊngài kám kok tông hó
I feel great!

Before a Noun

Used to describe a noun rather than to state something about it, the adjective comes first and is joined to the noun by (gaiˇkai).

蘋果汁有大量个糖。
linˋ goˇ zhib rhiuˋ tai+ liong+ gaiˇ tonglîn ko chip yiû thåi lio̊ng kai thòng
Apple juice has a lot of sugar.
該張好看个相片掛在壁項。
gai zhongˋ hoˊ kon+ gaiˇ siongˇ pienˊ guaˇ diˇ biag hong+kài chông hó kho̊n kai siong phién koa ti piak ho̊ng
The beautiful photo hangs on the wall.

Taking Verb Particles

Because an adjective works as a predicate in its own right, it takes the particle marking a change of situation exactly as a verb does. This is how it is old becomes it has grown old with no change of word.

這本書當舊了。
liaˊ bunˊ shuˋ dongˋ kiu+ leˋliá pún shû tông khiů lê
This book has grown very old.
這忒貴了。
liaˊ ted guiˇ leˋliá thet kui lê
This is too expensive.
𠊎个筆既經當舊了。
ngai gaiˇ bid giˇ ginˋ dongˋ kiu+ leˋngài kai pit ki kîn tông khiů lê
My pen has grown old already.

Negating an Adjective

An adjective is negated with (momò), the same negator used for verbs and for events that did not happen.

你看起來無爽快。
ngi konˇ hiˊ loi mo songˊ kuaiˇngì khon hí lòi mò sóng khoai
You don't look well.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Hailu Hakka course

97 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 1. A few of them, with the words “Adjectives as Predicates and Attributes” is about in bold:

你試著仰般？好抑係毋好？
ngi chiˇ doˊ ngiongˊ banˋ? hoˊ rha+ heˇ m hoˊ?ngì chhi tó ngióng pân? hó yå he m̀ hó?
How are you feeling? Good or bad?
Lesson 61
𠊎感覺當好！𠊎無發病仔。𠊎當康健。
ngai gamˊ gog dongˋ hoˊ! ngai mo bod piang+ er. ngai dongˋ kongˋ kien+.ngài kám kok tông hó! ngài mò pot phiång èr. ngài tông không khie̊n.
I feel great! I am not sick. I am healthy.
Lesson 64
醫生你好。𠊎有一隻問題。
rhiˋ senˋ ngi hoˊ. ngai rhiuˋ rhid zhag munˇ ti.yî sên ngì hó. ngài yiû yit chak mun thì.
Hello, Doctor. I have a problem.
Lesson 91

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